


since we're alone

by blackcameos (thebaesicme)



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Gen, Harry is an ex-dominatrix, Louis comes from a crime family, this is hella platonic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-25
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2019-02-20 07:14:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13141686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thebaesicme/pseuds/blackcameos
Summary: Harry has been living in Ahmedabad, India under a witness protection programme, since three years and Louis joins him.





	since we're alone

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Maybe_Tomorrow_Then](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maybe_Tomorrow_Then/gifts).



> I hope you like this! It's written for someone lovely  
> not beta-ed, all mistakes are mine

“Why do you need to go to the airport?” Anand asks after Harry asked him whether the ring road is a good idea for going there

“To pick someone up, a friend is coming” Harry answers hesitantly, it's not a friend, it's someone who's going to be Harry's housemate, in  _ Ahmedabad,  _ courtesy of Niall.

“Huh, well no, that route is better for coming back from there, go by the riverfront.” Anand says before taking another paratha from Harry's lunch. “Do you want me to come? To the airport?”

“I'll be fine,” Harry said, and he will be, possibly more than, it might feel like bursting a vein worrying about who Niall has sent his way, but Harry's ready for a housemate after three years of living alone.

Anand shrugs, “Whatever you say Professor Watson.

“Did I tell you what the principal did today? He went around the tents of the officers hear to oversee the voting asking if everyone's fine and good, the officers were a bit weirded out, never been treated like that here,” Anand laughs, “How did we end up with a patriotic and energetic principal?” 

Harry chuckles, “He's good, doesn't bother me too much anymore.” Harry said. “Plus, I'm don't get to vote so I get three extra holidays than you lot, I'm happy”

***

Harry reaches T2 of the Ahmedabad Airport at 02:20 am, quite on time. He quickly checks the status of the flight he's here for, and joins the people waiting near the arrivals gate. 

The first excited squeal from a kid spotting his mother comes 15 minutes later, Harry stands up straighter to try spotting his person.  **If only Niall didn't find details so dull and boring** Harry misses his antics, but he couldn't complain, He knows the detective wouldn't do something if he wasn't sure about it, Niall's spent enough time saving Harry's ass for Harry to know it.

Soon enough, people start coming out of the gate. Nothing matches the thrilled feeling that takes over Harry's body when he spots Louis, with a duffle bag on his shoulder and a suitcase behind him, he just stares at him dumbfounded till Louis spots him too. 

Seeing Harry makes Louis’ steps decidedly more determined but it still takes ages before Louis is standing in front of him surrounded by the noise of Gujaratis, it takes Harry only a second to shake out the doubts and motioning for a hug, to his relief Louis comes willingly. He can take a deep breath again

Harry sees a tear soak part of Louis’ top, Louis still smells the same, his hugs still fill Harry up with warmth , Louis squeezes tighter before loosening a bit to look at Harry.

“Harry,” Louis’ voice is a bit raspy, Harry would be worried if his eyes weren't watery,  he touches Harry's nape lightly, “I had decided to punch you when I saw you.

“but just look at you, standing here without your curls, crying and positively swooning on seeing me,” Louis wipes a stray tear and rolls his eyes.

Harry huffs and wipes at his eyes. “Lou–”

“That doesn't mean I'm not pissed off anymore.

“honestly, you could've skipped the whole part with the funeral and your dead body on a slab,” Louis’ breath hitches, “with these–” he pokes weakly at where Harry's dimples usually are– “nowhere to be found.”

Louis steadies himself a bit, at a distance now but not letting go of Harry's arm, “It was  _ bad.” _

“I'm sorry Louis, you know I would've told you if I could,” Harry touches Louis’ hand lightly on his arm, the other hand patting Louis’ neckline, where his ‘It Is What It Is’ is. “You understand though”

***

The first time they met was when Louis’ brothers decided to take Harry with them on their vacation, all expenses covered, He'd live in their guestroom. Louis wasn't pleased about it and made it a point to glare at him whenever he saw Harry. 

Harry tried to approach him on that trip, but Louis told him to stay away from him, it was good that Harry had no respect for Louis’ authority, and Harry just loved misbehaving. 

Harry had never been able to get any secrets from Gino and Nic, they were all masculine arrogance but they weren't idiots. 

Harry had quickly found the study and spent every morning there, it was exceptional, with a fireplace and armchair on one end, desk on the other and the walls covered with shelves, stacked with books, where there weren't shelves there were several ornately framed oil paintings.

One such morning, Harry found the door ajar and turned a bit cautious, he wasn't used to any member of the family being up and about at early hours. 

The desk was covered with several sheets of paper and scattering of pencils. Sitting behind it was Louis. He was drawing. 

He looked up and his piercing blue eyes met Harry's, Harry zeroed in on them, frowning and utterly captivated, “Louis?”

Louis put his pencil down and sat back in his chair, “What are you doing here?”

“I come here everyday, what are you doing here?” Harry reached the table slowly, unsure of where to look.

“Well, you can go now” Louis smiled tightly and picked up his pencil again, twirling it between his forefinger and thumb.

Harry's gaze followed it and he gasped as the sheets of paper came to life below him. He tried to study them all at once. “These are incredible.” 

Louis didn't reply but Harry wasn't unnerved, He raked his eyes over the drawings and stopped at a side profile of Nic, drawn in pencil, careful shadows swooping across his brow line and gathered beneath his cheekbones, focusing on something out of the frame. The Heart brothers shared the same features, but Nic didn't have Louis’ blue eyes. 

Beside the sketch of Nic there was a portrait of a woman standing in a kitchen. Her hands gripping the sides of the sink as she looked out the window in front of her. She was willowy and dishevelled, dressed in a silken floor-length robe that looked around her feet, a spill of dark hair fell freely down her back. Her brows were creased at sharp angles. “Is this your mother?”

Louis nodded.

“She's beautiful,” Harry said

“She's angry,” said Louis dispassionately, he deflected his gaze and started to rearrange his sketches into a pile, until Harry could only see the one he was still working on. 

It was his mother again, dressed impeccably in a dark dress, staring right at Harry from the page, Her hair was grey in parts at the crown, and pulled back, revealing a forehead etched with worry lines. Her expression was grim. 

“Seriousness?” Harry ventured.

“No,” Louis said without looking up. “This one is death.” Harry watched Louis smudge the edges. “I draw her everyday so that I'll never forget her. But, there's nothing more to find in her now. Everything she was is gone.”

“I'm sorry,” Harry offered weakly. It really was the only thing he could say, and still it didn't seem like half enough. 

Louis shrugged, his expression matter-of-fact. “You can't avoid the inevitability of death, it comes to everyone. To apologise for it is to apologise for the sun shining or the snow falling. It is what it is.”

Harry wanted to tell him he was lucky for his pragmatism, but didn't get the opportunity. The door opened and a man's voice followed, “Louis?” 

Harry's moment with the Heart underboss was over, because that's what Louis’ expression was back to. Louis didn't look back at Harry as he made himself scarce. 

***

The next time was at a warehouse, Harry had got tangled with the Falcone family and they were holding him bait for the Hearts. 

Harry didn't get to talk to Louis here, their only interaction was when Louis got shot and Harry threw his hands to his waist to stop the bleeding that coming thick and fast from an entry wound in his side, coating Harry's fingers in sticky warmth. 

His own ribs were shrieking in protest. Louis’ eyelids were fluttering and his complexion was drained. It was strange to see him so pale. 

They didn't get any help till Gino found them, Nic and Gino hoisted Louis between them and asked Harry to plug the wound when they moved him, Harry stood up without saying anything, sticking his hand out to help.

They moved quickly, in tandem to the back of the warehouse. Nic and Gino carried Luca into the SUV while Harry stumbled along, clutching his ribs with one hand and plugging Louis’ wound with the other. Then they took off, Louis and Harry lying side by side in the back seat, hand pressed tight against his torso as their laboured breaths mingled in the air between them. 

Harry had drifted away from the pain as they sped through the darkness. 

Harry didn't continue any relations with Nic and Gino after that, and by extension, Louis.

***

The next  just got weirder than the previous because it was at a prison, and Louis found Harry waiting for a bus. And after Harry had seen a headline about a dead Falcone girl.

Harry was lost in his thoughts when someone sat down beside him. He slid an arm behind him and lazily tilted his body towards Harry, until the familiar waft of his aftershave struck Harry.

“Harry Styles, fancy meeting you here

“So,” Louis said. “Do you think we'll ever run into each other in a theatre or shopping mall, or will it always be prisons and dark warehouses for us? Is that our thing?”

“I do  _ not  _ want to talk to you, Louis.” Harry folded his arms, like that would keep all his anger inside. 

Harry watched Louis’ hands in his periphery, picking at a thread in his dark jeans. “I didn't kill her, Harry”

Harry turned away, “I don't care, you might be better than the others in your family but that is no reason for us to talk, I'd prefer staying away from your blood wars.”

“You are too close to stay away, though. If you don't learn to ride it you might get swept away. 

“What I mean to say is, you can come to us for help, if you need to, I'll vouch for offering you our protection.” 

Harry sprang to his feet, “Hopefully, that won't be necessary.” 

In the distance the bus was rolling to a stop and Harry was grateful for it. Louis was eyeing it with unconcealed disgust.

“I can give you a ride back, that thing looks like it will fall apart if anyone sneezes inside it” 

Harry wanted to slap the smugness of Louis’ face when he relented but the air conditioning and and the spacious interior of Louis’ car made up for it. 

A car moving erratically three vehicles back caught thier attention and Louis ordered Harry to get down.

Harry skunk to the ground, the word  _ Falcone,  _ ringing in his head. Louis reached under his seat and pulled out a handgun. Harry's eyes grew twice their size, “Louis..”

“Don't get up,” He warned. The erratic car overtook them and Louis pulled the window down. 

The car backfired, chugged and sped up, leaving the sounds of frat boys laughing and shouting in it's wake. 

“Oh my god,” Harry gasped. “I really thought we were dead.”

Louis’ knuckles were white on the steering wheel, “I thought it was the Falcones.” 

“So did I,” Harry breathed and shakily got back up. 

Adrenalin had surged through Harry and now it was seeping away, making him shake as he tried to calm down. It was strange feeling like he almost died when there was no danger, in the end. 

Louis got off the highway at the next exit and pulled into the drive-through line of Dunkin’ Donuts. 

Harry didn't reply when Louis asked him what he wanted, so Louis said something about making an executive decison. 

Harry felt indignant at Louis trying to skirt over what just happened. He gazed out the window as Louis ordered. A couple minutes later they were back on the road and Louis unwrapped a donut with rainbow sprinkles and placed it on the dashboard like an artefact. The glaze was still dripping down the sides and the smell invaded Harry's nostrils. 

He lasted two minutes. Then he caved. 

Louis was focused on the road and sipping from his coffee. 

They were done with the snacks in ten minutes, “Better now?” Louis asked him

“It's a start.” Harry rubbed off his fingers on his jeans 

“So we're even now? for you saving me in the warehouse, I mean. I figured the doughnut might make a good thank you”

“Oh,no, no,” Harry said flopping back against the seat. “Correct etiquette demands a bouquet”

Louis’ exhale whistled through his nose, “Surely the sprinkles made it worthy?” 

Harry shook his head, “I don't make the rules, Louis.” 

Harry grinned, revelling in Louis’ frown.

“Alright.” The car jolted to the side and they were stopping near a mud ditch. Harry half-shrieked at Louis dashing out the car.

Harry watched as Louis ducked under a fence to get to the grass field, looking completely out of his natural element. Not looking bothered by it, though. 

Louis ducked back into the car moments later, his cheeks tinged with faint circles of pink. He was holding a small bunch of blue flowers, durt still clinging to some.

He held them across the armrest between them, “Here,” he said, not quite looking at Harry. 

A bouquet, for Harry. Harry took them, his jaw unhinged. 

“Thanks,” he finally managed, rotating the flowers and checking that they were really real. “I earned these,” Harry beamed at them as he held his bounty in his lap.

Louis nodded at the road, “You definitely did.”

The terror of the afternoon faded with the fields behind them. 

Louis dropped Harry outside his house, with the first bouquet of flowers he'd ever gotten. They were beautiful.

  
  



End file.
